There really is no need for a reason to enjoy dumplings. Have them any time of the day.
SAVOURY TARO DUMPLING
Dumpling skin
80g taro (yam)
25g purple sweet potato
70g wheat starch (tang flour)
50g glutinous rice flour
15g tapioca flour
80ml hot water
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp oil
Filling
10g dried cuttlefish shreds
1 tbsp oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
100g yambean (sengkuang), shredded
20g carrot, shredded
Seasoning
1 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp sugar, or to taste
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp chicken stock powder
To make dumpling skin
Cut taro and purple sweet potato into thin slices. Steam over rapidly boiling water until cooked and soft. Remove from steamer and mash, while still hot, through a metal sieve into a smooth paste.
Combine wheat starch, tapioca flour, glutinous rice flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Pour in hot water and stir briskly until the flours are well combined. Cover with a piece of cling film and set aside for 8 to 10 minutes.
Add in the taro and sweet potato paste and knead, while adding the oil, into a smooth dough. Should the dough be too sticky, sprinkle over with a little wheat starch and knead lightly to incorporate.
For the filling
Soak dried cuttlefish shreds in water for 10 minutes. Drain and chop roughly.
Heat oil in a wok. Stir-fry the garlic and cuttlefish over low heat until fragrant. Add shredded yambean and carrot. Mix in seasoning and fry briskly until well combined. Simmer until the mixture is cooked and most of the liquid has evaporated. Dish out and leave to cool completely.
To shape
Roll the dough into a log and cut into 7 equal portions. Roll out each portion, dusting lightly with some tapioca flour, into a circle. Add a heaped tablespoon of filling in the centre of the dough circle, and fold over to form a crescent-shaped dumpling. Pinch the edges together to seal in the filling.
To cook
Arrange the dumplings on a piece of banana leaf. Steam over medium heat for 10 minutes. Remove dumplings from the steamer and lightly brush with a little oil to prevent the dumplings from sticking and to give it a nice sheen.
SPINACH DUMPLING IN HOT AND SOUR SOUP
Spinach skin
125g plain flour
1/8 tsp salt
60-65ml fresh spinach juice
Filling
60g prawns, minced
35g pork, minced
2 water chestnuts, chopped
2 dried mushrooms, soaked and diced
Seasoning
1/2 tsp chicken stock powder
1 tbsp tapioca flour
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
To make dumpling skin
Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Mix into a dough.
Cover dough with a piece of damp tea towel and rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
Knead the dough until smooth and roll out into a log. Cut into small, even pieces.
Roll each piece into a flat circle with a small rolling pin.
Dust the pieces with a little plain flour. Stack up in a plastic container, ready for use.
For the filling
In a mixing bowl, combine all the filling ingredients together with the seasoning.
To shape
Add a heaped tablespoon of filling in the centre of a dough circle.
Brush the edge with a little tapioca flour solution. Fold over to form a crescent-shaped dumpling.
Pinch the edges together to seal in the filling.
To cook
Cook the dumplings in a pot of boiling water over high heat until they float. Dish out and serve with the hot and sour soup.
Note
To make spinach juice, blend 70g spinach with 70ml water in a food processor and strain.
CRYSTAL DUMPLING
Filling
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp minced shallot
20g dried prawns, soaked and finely chopped
250g yambean, shredded
75g carrot
Seasoning
1 tsp pepper or to taste
1 tsp chicken stock powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
water
Dumpling skin
50g wheat starch (Tang flour)
50g tapioca flour
1/4 tsp salt
155ml boiling hot water
1 tsp oil
For the filling
Heat oil and sesame oil in a wok. Stir-fry shallot and dried prawns till aromatic. Add yambean and carrot, then stir in seasoning. Cover the wok and cook until the vegetables are soft. Stir, and cook uncovered until mixture is quite dry. Dish out and leave to cool completely before use.
To make dumpling skin
Combine the flours and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix well. Pour hot boiling water over. Give it a quick stir with a pair of chopsticks. Cover the mixture with cling film for 30 seconds then turn it out onto a clean surface. Sprinkle lightly with wheat starch and knead into a pliable dough. Add oil and continue to knead until dough is smooth and shiny. Roll dough into a log and cut into 11 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a flat circle with a small rolling pin.
To shape
Add a heaped tablespoon of filling in the centre of the dough circle. Pleat edges to form round or crescent-shaped dumplings. Male sure the filling is sealed in. Repeat to make more dumplings.
To cook
Arrange the prepared dumplings on a greased plate. Steam over medium heat for about 7 to 8 minutes. When done, brush with oil.
Dumplings Around The World